The Seoul metropolitan government is assembling a rescue and medical team to assist Japan in search and recovery operations following Friday's devastating earthquake and tsunami, the regional government said Sunday.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon presided over a meeting of the municipal government officials the previous day to come up with measures to help Japan recover from the quake that struck its northeastern region and to extend a relief fund to the neighboring country, it said.

Oh also sent a letter of condolence to Tokyo Mayor Shintaro Ishihara over the deadly incident.